Alice + Olivia’s Stacey Bendet designs for Minnie Mouse, plans pre-Coachella eyewear party in L.A.

Alice + Olivia chief executive officer and creative director Stacey Bendet is having a busy spring. The designer is taking a spin with Minnie Mouse, having designed a dress for the Disney character to wear to the Los Angeles Fashion Awards on Sunday night. The black-and-white crystal polka-dot high-low frock, lined with Alice + Olivia’s signature kiss print, was a “fun and flirty” take for 2017, and Bendet added some of her signature accessories, including a flower crown “because why not?” and a pair of Beverly sunglasses from her new collection.

This week, the brand will do a shoot and several meet-and-greets with Minnie in New York, while also gearing up for festival season. On April 12, Bendet will be back in Los Angeles to host a launch party for her new optical and sunglass collection with Eponym.

“We’re doing an eye candy art installation because eyewear is like little pieces of art,” she said. “Los Angeles is like my casual world and New York is my dress-up world. I’ve always found that dichotomy fascinating and it’s always been a part of my design process.”

Last year, Alice + Olivia threw a see-now-buy-now show with Neiman Marcus at Neuehouse Hollywood to kick off Coachella. Emily Ratajkowski, Kourtney Kardashian and a slew of starlets sat in the front row, and more are likely to be at next week’s event, though it will be a different affair.

“I’d love to do something like that again, but since we are just launching the eyewear, that’s what I wanted to focus on. I feel the glasses need to be in a more stationary setting so people can really look at them. And, it’s also sort of a kick-off to Coachella because everyone wears sunglasses there. The Chelsea print and the black frame with crystal flowers are two of my favorite styles.”

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